Dining out alone on the rise

Once a taboo, dining alone in public is now the biggest trend set to sweep the finest kitchens in Chester, London and New York.

There was a time when the only people who would be spotted dining by themselves would be business travellers who had few other options, but now discerning diners are actually going out of their way to enjoy a solo meal, thanks to trailblazing Dutch restaurant Eenmaal.

Eenmaal’s unique selling point is that it is the first eatery in the world to only have tables for one. The restaurant was created by two design agencies in the European country and was set up to break the taboo of eating alone. Now, the diner is considering opening a location in the UK, after a successful pop-up event was held in London.

Speaking to The Telegraph about Eenmaal, its creator, the social designer Marina Van Goor, said that the pop-up event was “amazingly successful”. In fact, it was reported that hundreds of solo diners turned up to enjoy a peaceful meal alone.

Visitors to the event were strongly encouraged to give up their mobile phones for the course of the meal too. However, it is claimed that most did not seem to mind.

If Van Goor does indeed decide to expand her restaurant empire into London, it may only be a matter of time before others follow suit. As such, there could soon be a huge increase in the number of diners who are confident enough to eat out with only a book for company.